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John Thune is striving to be the next Republican Senate leader, but can he rise in Trump's GOP?

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John Thune is striving to be the next Republican Senate leader, but can he rise in Trump's GOP?
News

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John Thune is striving to be the next Republican Senate leader, but can he rise in Trump's GOP?

2024-09-18 12:03 Last Updated At:12:31

MITCHELL, S.D. (AP) — The gold-leafed ceilings and crystal chandeliers of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort are a long way from the small town of Murdo, South Dakota, where Sen. John Thune grew up. But that’s where the senator found himself this spring as he launched a bid to become the next Senate Republican leader.

Even before Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced he would end the longest leadership tenure in Senate history, Thune, 63, had approached the contest with the same quiet intensity — fueled by an aversion to losing — he learned on the basketball court and track of Murdo’s high school.

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Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The outcome of the secret leadership ballot, expected after the November election, is deeply uncertain. It's a weighty choice for Senate Republicans as they leave the McConnell era, creating a test of whether someone like Thune, who defines himself by the party's traditional values and has at times defied Trump's wishes, can still rise to power.

Senators John Cornyn of Texas, a former whip and strong fundraiser, and Rick Scott of Florida, a Trump ally, are also running for leader. Others could still jump in the race.

Thune acknowledges moments of doubt about his place in the party. He agonized over whether to run again in 2022, even as a clear path to Senate leadership awaited him.

“You tire of just the day-to-day combat,” Thune said of his deliberations. “I may not be best-suited to the times in terms of the style, the way I do things. But I just felt like the country was going to need some common-sense leadership, particularly if Sen. McConnell stepped aside.”

So it was that Thune made the journey to Mar-a-Lago. It's his hope the visit — along with his endorsement of Trump for president — will help convince Trump they can work together.

Thune told The Associated Press he views their potential relationship “very professionally," and if they both win their respective elections, “then we've got a job to do.”

"I think he understands where I’m coming from, so we’ll see what happens,” Thune added with a chuckle.

Throughout his political career, the South Dakota Republican has shown an athlete’s grit and sense for being in the right place at the right time. He struck up a mentorship in high school with former South Dakota Sen. James Abdnor that led to his start in politics. He came back from a gut-wrenching 2002 Senate race loss to successfully challenge then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, a Democrat, and rise to hold the Senate whip position, No. 2 in GOP leadership.

This year, Thune — much like he ran the 800-meter race in high school — has jumped out to a pace meant to exhaust his rivals. He pledged a record-setting $4 million to the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, held meetings this spring with every colleague to lock in support and crisscrossed the country to boost Republicans’ bid to win a Senate majority.

But the drive to become leader has forced Thune into a delicate pose: contrasting Trump's style of politics, but stopping short of the direct confrontations that have ended the careers of other Republicans.

Thune's rebuke of Trump in late 2020 — in which he asserted that Trump's efforts to overturn his election loss would “go down like a shot dog” in the Senate — prompted the former president to try, unsuccessfully, to recruit a primary opponent against him in 2022.

Now, Thune argues that Trump can be trusted with the presidency, while acknowledging the transfer of power "was hard, painful and tumultuous in many ways."

“I think with respect to democratic norms, my expectation is that he’s going to ... follow them. He’s going to do things clearly his own way," Thune said of Trump.

"Stylistically, it might not be the way I would do it or the way any other former president has done it. But in the end, the Constitution, the rule of law, governs this country. That’s our bedrock principle, and we can’t deviate from that.”

Thune also just hates to lose.

He grimaced when discussing his 2002 Senate race loss by 524 votes, tallied late into election night.

He choked up when recalling how his coach comforted him as he sat in the locker room after his potentially game-winning shot clanked off the rim in the final seconds of his high school basketball career.

When it came to basketball — a sport his father, a decorated WWII fighter pilot, had played at the University of Minnesota — Thune never held back.

“He would do whatever it took to win,” said Chris Venard, who played center alongside Thune for the Jones County Coyotes.

On winter nights, the basketball games drew practically the entire town of Murdo, population less than 1,000 and a pit stop for truckers and tourists making the crossing between the Missouri River and the Black Hills.

Thune's father, Harold, a teacher and girls' basketball coach at the high school, would take his sons to the gym on Saturday mornings to sharpen their skills. Thune still remembers the game he scored 36 points, yet his dad, who hated ball hogs, singled out a play when he took a shot rather than pass to Venard who was open under the basket.

“My first instinct was always: score,” Thune said. “A lot of times he would try and constrain that impulse.”

Thune’s sense of the world was also formed by the evangelical Christian faith he inherited from his parents. He and his siblings attended Biola University, a Christian college in southern California.

Thune said those lessons compelled him to seek “a life of purpose” while approaching politics with “kindness and truth.”

Like many, the Thune family was drawn into the GOP fold by President Ronald Reagan and his skepticism of “big government.” Thune remembers casting his first vote for Reagan and liking how he exhibited “a sense of humor, a lightness of spirit and a joyfulness.”

In over a dozen interviews, colleagues, former staff and friends described Thune as a driven competitor, yet someone who also values forthrightness, teamwork and humility.

“John is a first-class gentleman,” said former Sen. Bill Nelson, who led Democrats on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee while Thune was chair from 2015 to 2019.

As he worked the crowd at a fairground in South Dakota on a recent August day, it was easy to see why Thune was encouraged by Republican Senate colleagues to explore a 2012 presidential run he did not ultimately pursue.

Lean with a smile that spreads over a chiseled face, Thune slapped backs, recalled names and grasped hands with a firm grip. People felt comfortable enough to call out “John" and the senator received a good-natured ribbing when he accidentally cut in line to put barbecue sauce on his ribeye sandwich.

But the Republican Party has changed since 2012.

During another visit with a Sioux Falls volunteer club, one man wanted to know: What are you doing to get Trump back in the White House?

“Well, we’re doing everything we can,” Thune began.

“No, you," came the reply. “I want to know what you are doing?"

With elections approaching, Thune is tapping into the mentality of an 800-meter runner on the final lap.

“It's a brutal race,” he said. “But you've got to gut it out."

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

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Dangerous winds return to Southern California as new wildfires break out

2025-01-22 05:59 Last Updated At:06:05

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dangerous winds returned to Southern California on Tuesday as new wildfires broke out and a pair of major Los Angeles-area blazes burned for a third week, while officials made preparations to protect scorched neighborhoods from toxic ash runoff ahead of potential rain this weekend.

Forecasters cautioned that gusts could peak at 70 mph (113 kph) along the coast and 100 mph (160 kph) in mountains and foothills during extreme fire weather that's expected to last through Tuesday afternoon.

The National Weather Service warned of a “ particularly dangerous situation ” across Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego counties due to low humidity and powerful Santa Ana winds. Gusts will ease later in the day, but windy conditions are expected into Thursday.

Fire engines and water-dropping aircraft positioned across the region allowed crews to swiftly douse several small blazes that popped up over the holiday weekend, said David Acuna, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

“Our concern is the next fire, the next spark that causes the next wildfire,” Acuna said Tuesday. He said another worry was that the two major blazes, the Palisades and Eaton fires near Los Angeles, could break their containment lines.

Evacuations were ordered Tuesday when the Friars Fire broke out near a San Diego mall and flames ran up a hillside toward residences, Cal Fire said.

Meanwhile, evacuation orders were lifted for the Lilac Fire in the Bonsall area of San Diego County, which burned at least 85 acres (34 hectares) of dry brush after threatening structures, the agency said. Nearby, crews fully contained the 17-acre (34-hectare) Pala Fire.

As a small number of residents were allowed to return to the devastated Pacific Palisades area, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order Tuesday to expedite cleanup efforts in burn areas and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. She ordered crews to remove vegetation, shore up hillsides, install barriers and reinforce roads ahead of possible rain this weekend that could create mud and debris flows.

“This is to prevent additional damage to areas already ravaged by fire, and also to protect our watershed, beaches and ocean from toxic runoff,” Bass said during a news conference.

Bass also warned that winds could disperse ash and urged Angelenos to visit lacity.gov to learn about ways to protect themselves from toxic air during the latest Santa Ana wind event.

There's a 60% to 80% chance of a small amount of rain for Southern California starting Saturday, with most areas likely getting not more than a third of an inch (0.8 cm), said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the weather service's LA office. However up to an inch (2 1/2 cm) of rain could fall during localized thunderstorms, which would be a “worst-case scenario” if it's enough to trigger debris flows on scorched hillsides, he said.

“But even if the rain doesn't materialize this time, it could be a good practice run for those communities because this will be a threat that they’ll have to deal with for months or years," Kittell said Tuesday.

Los Angeles firefighters on Monday quickly extinguished a small brush fire near the iconic Griffith Observatory in a sprawling park overlooking the city. A man suspected of starting the fire was taken into custody, LA police said. Fire crews also quickly extinguished a small blaze near Tujunga and another one along Interstate 405 in the Granada Hills neighborhood that temporarily closed northbound lanes.

Southern California Edison said it had preemptively shut off power to more than 61,000 customers in five counties to prevent winds from toppling electrical equipment and sparking new fires. The utility said it was considering precautionary shutoffs for an additional 251,00 customers.

Authorities urged residents to review evacuation plans and prepare emergency kits, and be on the lookout for fires and report them quickly.

The low humidity, bone-dry vegetation and strong winds come as firefighters continue battling the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since they broke out Jan. 7. The Palisades Fire was 61% contained and containment of the Eaton Fire reached 87%.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff flew to Los Angeles Monday after attending President Donald Trump's inauguration and met with firefighters, volunteers and victims of the Eaton Fire in Altadena.

“We just came out to thank (firefighters), to thank the community and just remind folks that we're all in this together,” Harris said. She said their home in Pacific Palisades was still standing.

Trump, who criticized the response to the wildfires during his inaugural address, has said he will travel to Los Angeles on Friday.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday said the devastation left by the fires underscores the need for partnership between the state and federal governments.

“I look forward to President Trump’s visit to Los Angeles and his mobilization of the full weight of the federal government to help our fellow Americans recover and rebuild,” Newsom said in a statement.

Associated Press radio reporter Julie Walker contributed from New York.

San Diego firefighters knock down a small brush along a hillside over the Mission Valley Shopping Mall in San Diego on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

San Diego firefighters knock down a small brush along a hillside over the Mission Valley Shopping Mall in San Diego on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

FILE - Resident Pauly Harter, right, pulls his son Gavin on a cart during a walk Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - Resident Pauly Harter, right, pulls his son Gavin on a cart during a walk Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - Nancy Belanger pours water on a neighbor's fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - Nancy Belanger pours water on a neighbor's fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A woman search inside a destroyed home by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A woman search inside a destroyed home by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

FILE - Josh Lederer wears a mask to protect him from fumes as he retrieves his children's clothes from his fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - Josh Lederer wears a mask to protect him from fumes as he retrieves his children's clothes from his fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A lone home stands among residences levelled by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A lone home stands among residences levelled by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Residences destroyed by the Eaton Fire line a neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

FILE - Jerome Krausse pushes his mother-in-law in a shopping cart as they evacuate from their home in the Pacific Palisades after a wildfire swept through their neighborhood in Santa Monica, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

FILE - Jerome Krausse pushes his mother-in-law in a shopping cart as they evacuate from their home in the Pacific Palisades after a wildfire swept through their neighborhood in Santa Monica, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

A firefighter pulls a hose while trying to keep the Lilac Fire from spreading near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter pulls a hose while trying to keep the Lilac Fire from spreading near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter battles the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter battles the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter sprays water while battling the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter sprays water while battling the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Joshua Cari sprays water while battling the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Joshua Cari sprays water while battling the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Joshua Cari sprays water while battling the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Joshua Cari sprays water while battling the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters battle the Lilac Fire along Interstate 15 near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighters battle the Lilac Fire along Interstate 15 near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Joshua Cari sprays water while battling the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Firefighter Joshua Cari sprays water while battling the Lilac Fire near the Bonsall community of San Diego County, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Vehicles drive along Interstate 15 as the Lilac Fire burns along a hillside in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Vehicles drive along Interstate 15 as the Lilac Fire burns along a hillside in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Firefighters walk up a ridge to battle the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Firefighters walk up a ridge to battle the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Firefighters stand along a ridge as they battle the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Firefighters stand along a ridge as they battle the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Two firefighters roll up a fire hose during the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Two firefighters roll up a fire hose during the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Vehicles pass through smoke from the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Vehicles pass through smoke from the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Firefighters battle the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Firefighters battle the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Strong winds carry embers as firefighters work to extinguishe a brush fire in the Winchester community of Riverside County, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Strong winds carry embers as firefighters work to extinguishe a brush fire in the Winchester community of Riverside County, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter extinguishes a brush fire as strong winds carry embers in the Winchester community of unincorporated Riverside County, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

A firefighter extinguishes a brush fire as strong winds carry embers in the Winchester community of unincorporated Riverside County, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Homeowner David Marquez, left, holds a metal detector as he shows recovered metal items found with his father, Juan Pablo Alvarado, right, inside the walls of their multi-generational home in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Homeowner David Marquez, left, holds a metal detector as he shows recovered metal items found with his father, Juan Pablo Alvarado, right, inside the walls of their multi-generational home in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Joel Parkes, a teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District returns to his destroyed home in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Joel Parkes, a teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District returns to his destroyed home in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Joel Parkes, a teacher at Los Angeles Unified School District returns to his destroyed home in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Joel Parkes, a teacher at Los Angeles Unified School District returns to his destroyed home in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Joel Parkes, a teacher at Los Angeles Unified School District, left, returns to his home with his wife in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Joel Parkes, a teacher at Los Angeles Unified School District, left, returns to his home with his wife in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Homeowner David Marquez, left, holds a metal detector as his father, Juan Pablo Alvarado, right, and a friend look for the remains of gold jewelry and other silver items inside the walls of their multi-generational home in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Homeowner David Marquez, left, holds a metal detector as his father, Juan Pablo Alvarado, right, and a friend look for the remains of gold jewelry and other silver items inside the walls of their multi-generational home in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Debris from a destroyed home is seen as a newly built ADU (accessory dwelling unit) stands behind after surviving the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Debris from a destroyed home is seen as a newly built ADU (accessory dwelling unit) stands behind after surviving the Eaton Fire, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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